Automatic sheet separator



M w. l

NPV. 2 1926. v

l t e nuV h s s t e e. hr s R o M Rm mw S....|,.......,w..m.u...-.........i y .....-.....,..........-hwmwmmmmwmmmwmmunuwmmnw gli? Ami@ Nov. 2 1926. l

W. M. BLECKER AUTOMATIC SHEET SEPARATOR Filed June 3,- 1926 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 2 1926.

` W M B L E C K ER AUTOMVAT I C S HEET SEPARATOR Wuk l: r

Nov.. 2 1926.

1,605,642 W. M. BLECKER AUTOMATIC SHEET SEPARATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4:mantos Patented Nov'. 2i, 1.926.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ioli-jlcE.

WILLIAM M. BLECKER, F CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB T0 EDWARD A. LANGENBAOH,

0E CANTON, OHIO. s

A.UTMATIC SHEET SEPABATOB.

Application med v:une 3,'1926. serial no. 113,590.

, The invention relates to apparatus for separatingdoubled or packedsheets from each 'other in sheet rolling operations. The objects of thepresent improvement are to provide automatic means for sepa-l rating apairor a pack of sheets from each other at a .desired stage in a sheetrolling process. These objects are Iattained by the use of aconstruction and arrangement lwhich may be described in general terms asincluding a plurality of sets ofjdriven feed rolls having staggered nipsfor receiving a pair or pack of stuck sheets,` Iand ,for reverselybending the same to slide the sheets on each other and loosen the same,one or vmore sets o f driven exit rolls for discharging separated sheetsfrom the apparatus, and intermediate the feed and exit rolls, one ormere adjustable knives for separating the sheets, and guides forproperly positioning the sheets in their passage from the ,feed rolls tothey knives and from the knives to the exit rolls. n Several forms ofthe invention arel illusl' trated in the accompanying drawings formingpart hereof, in which- VFigurel is a longitudinal axiai vertical By this.staggered arrangement of thel nips of the successive sets of--feedrolls, a sheet pack passing 'therethrough is subject to a succession ofreverse bends, setting up forces causing the separate stuck sheets toslide upon'each other and to open fan-wise the separate sheets at theadvancing end of the pack.

Longitudinally spaced from the feed rolls, a pair of driven exit rolls14 and 14is suitably journalled in the frames 11 for dischargingseparated sheets from the apparatus, the nip'15 of the exit rolls beingpref- "erably in horizontal alignment with the opening 1 3a between theentrance guide 55 plates 13 and 13. Intermediate the feed and exitrolls, and relatively close to the feed rolls, a pluralitya oftransversely extending and vertically spaced hardened separating knives16"*are f adjustably mounted \at their ends in the frames 11 and areprovided with sharpened transverse edges 17 directed towards thefeedrolls. 5 Ii These separating knives are preferably mounted between upperand lower transversely extending formed guide plates 18 cross section ofoneform of the invention-c and '18',V for directing to the exit rollsthe for automatically separating sheet packs;

ig..2, a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3, a longitudinal axial vertical cross section of another forniofthe invention for separating sheet pairs; and v Fig, a side elevationthereof. l5 Similar numerals .refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

Referring to Fi s. 1 and 2,- a plurality of i setsf driven fee LrollsV10 and'lO' are suitably journalled in a pair of sidev lframes 11,

4 the nips 12 of successive sets of' the feed rolls being staggeredvwithrespect to each other an preferably so /staggered that the nips l2 ofth'e rst, third and fifth sets of feed rolls are in horizontal alignmentwith 5 the opening 13 between horizontal entrance "guide plates 13 and13', and the nipsA of the second and fourth sets of feed rolls being fhorizontally aligned with each other and below the ali g"ned nips'oftherst, third and u fifth Sets.

sheets fed from the feed rolls and through the tranverse openings 16 and16 between the guide plates and knives and between the knivesrespectively.

In operation the apparatus may be setv up in a line of equipment as ,forcontinuous sheet rolling, and successive sheet. packs P, one of which isshown passing through the apparatus in Figs; 1 and 2, may be fed throughthe automatic separator for separating the individual sheets Sof thepack from each other. J

The advancing front end 19 of the pack illustrated in Fig. 1, hasentered the apparatus through Jthe horizontal opening 13a be tween theentrance guide-'plates 13 and 13', and the staggered feed rolls 'haveadvanced `the pack throughv their staggered nips,- thereby i reverselybending the pack, and tending to cause the separate sheets to slide u oneach other and to open fan-wise the a vancing ends of the separatesheets of 10 the pack, and the forward endsV of the sepay rate sheetshave been advanced through the openings 16 and 16 between the guides 18and 18 and adjacent knives, and between the intermediate knives 16, andthe pack has been further advanced until its end 19 has been gripped bythe exit rolls 14 and 14 which further draws the pack of separatedsheets through the knife openings and dis` charges the separated packfrom the machine to the next piece of apparatus in the line.

The modified forni of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3, is similar tothe form heretofore described, but is particularly adapted for theseparation of sheet pairs, and includes a plurality of sets of drivenfeed rolls 10 and 10', suitably journaled in a pair of side frames 11,the nips 12a of successive sets of the feed rolls being staggered withrespect to each other, and preferably so staggered that the nips 12 ofthe first, third and fifth sets of feed rolls are in horizontalalignment with the opening 13b between horizontal entrance guide plates13 and 13', and the nips of the second and fourth sets of feed rollsbeing horizontally aligned with each other and below the aligned nips ofthe first, third'and fifth sets.

By this staggered arrangement of the nips of the successive sets of feedrolls, a pair of sheets passing therethrough is subject to a successionof reverse bends, setting up forces causing the separate stuck sheets toslide upon each other and t0 open fanwise the separate sheets at theadvancing end of the pair.

Longitudinally spaced from the feed rolls, two pairs of driven exitrolls 14a and 14a preferably in vertical alignment with each other, aresuitably journaled in the frames 11 for discharging separated sheetsfrom the apparatus, the nips 15 of the exit rolls being preferablyspaced at equal distances from the horizontal axis of the machinepassing through the horizontal entrance opening l4 Intermediate the feedand exit roll, and relatively close to the lfeed rolls, a transverselyextending hardened separating knife 16 is adjustably mounted at its endsin the frame 11 and is provided with a sharpened transverse edge 17directed towards the feed rolls. 4

The separating knife 16 is preferably mounted between upper and lowertransversely extending and vertically inclined outer guide plates 18aand 18, cooperating with inner plates 18" and 18" for directing to theexit rollsthe sheets fed from the feed rolls and on each side of theseparating knife.

In operation this form of the apparatus may be set-up in a line of`equipment as for continuous sheet rolling, and', successive sheet pairsP', one offwhich is shown passing through the apparatus in Figs. 3 and4, ,may be fed through the automatic separator for separating theindividual sheets S ofthe pair from each other.

The advancing front ends of the pair of sheets illustrated in Fig. 3have entered ythe apparatus through the horizontal opening 13b betweenthe entrance guide plates 13 and 3 and the staggered feed rolls haveadvanced the 4pair through the staggered nips, thereby reversely bendingthe pair and tending to cause the separate sheets to slide upon eachyother and to open fan-wise the advancing ends of the separate sheets ofthe pair, and the forward ends of the separate sheets have advancedthrough the openings 16 between the guides 18 and 18 and the knife 16,and the pair has been further advanced until the ends of each sheet ofthe pair have been gripped by one ofthe pairs of exit rolls 14C and 14awhich further draw the pair of separated sheets through the knifeopenings and discharge the separated pair of sheets from the machine tothe next piece of apparatus in the line.

I claim- *1. Sheet separating apparatus including a plurality of sets ofdriven feed rolls, the nips of the separate sets being staggeredwith'respect to each other, a set of driven exit rolls spaced from thefeed rolls, and a separating knife intermediate the feed and exit rolls.

2. Sheet separating apparatus including a plurality of sets of drivenfeed rolls, the nips of the separate sets being staggered with respect'to each other, a set of driven exit rolls spaced from the feed rolls, aseparating knife intermediate the feed and exit rolls, and guidesadjacent the separating knife for directing sheets from the feed rollsto the exitI rolls.

3. Sheet separating apparatus including a plurality of sets of drivenfeed rolls, the nips of the separate sets being staggered with respectto each other, a set of driven eXit rolls spaced from the feed rolls,and a plurality of separating knives intermediate the feed and exitrolls.

4. Sheet separating apparatus 4including a plurality of sets of drivenfeed rolls, the nips of the separate sets being staggered with respectto each other, a set of driven exit rolls spaced from the feed rolls, aplurality of separating knives intermediate the feed and exit rolls, andguides adjacent the knives for directing sheets from the feed rolls tothe axit rlls.

5. Sheet separating apparatus includlng a plurality of sets of drivenfeed rolls, the nips of the' separate sets bemg staggered with respectto each other, a plurality of sets of driven exit rolls spaced from thefeed rolls, )and a separating knife intermediate feed rolls, aseparating knife intermediate the feed and exit rolls. the feed and exitrolls, and 'guides adja- 6. Sheet separating apparatus including a centthe knife for directing sheets from the 10 plurality of sets of drivenfeed rolls, the feed rolls .to the exit rolls. 5 nips of the separatesets being stagered InA testimo y that I claim' the above, I

with respect to each other, apiura ity of have hereunt subscribed myname.Y sets Qf ldriven exit rolls spaced from the WILLIAM M. BLECKER.

